We almost lost Jackson.

TLDR: We almost lost Jackson but your continued support made it possible for us to save his life!

We like to keep things happy and lighthearted in our rescue. Even when things are kind of tough, we do our best to put a positive spin on them. We do that because we love what we do and who we do it for. But yesterday was a really hard day, and we weren’t sure it would have a positive ending.

Jackson was neutered on Monday. A routine procedure that should have ended with pictures of a forlorn pupper in a cone of shame with promises to him that he’d be feeling better and ready for adoption in no time almost had a tragic, unthinkable outcome.

It started Monday night with a lethargic Jackson, low temperature of 99.6, and a very swollen and bruised neuter site. His foster parents did their best to warm him up with fluffy blankets warmed in the dryer and cold compresses to try to bring the swelling down. By Tuesday morning he was nearly unresponsive, the swelling and bruising had increased, the neuter site was leaking blood, and his gums were pale.

He was rushed to the emergency vet, where he was admitted right away.  There were many more questions than answers on initial evaluation and ultrasound.

1.      Did he have a bleeding disorder? That needed to be confirmed or ruled out.

2.      There was a mass in his belly. What was it? And if he has a bleeding disorder, could anything be done? They prepared us for the worst-case scenario that the answer would be no.

3.      What was it about the neuter that triggered all of this?

And, of course, that level of treatment and care required a hefty deposit of almost $7500.00. That’s almost our budget for an entire year! But we didn’t hesitate to pay it, even though it would have just about wiped us out financially.

It was a long day of waiting for answers, and they trickled in slowly. The first piece of good news came when it was confirmed that the mass in his belly was actually a displaced kidney. (No one knows or can even guess how that happened.) This was fantastic because it meant he wouldn’t need to have that part of the surgical plan!

The second piece of good news was that he does not have a bleeding disorder. This was the biggest relief because if he did have a bleeding disorder, there was nothing they could do. We would have lost him.

The final piece of news was that a dropped stitch is what started it all. He was bleeding into his scrotal sack, a large blood clot formed, and the rest followed.

We are thankful that Jackson was able to be saved, that the emergency vets and nursing staff worked so hard to make that happen for a homeless rescue dog, that his foster parents are so dedicated to him, and that the final bill was less than half of what was estimated. We are also thankful for some supporters, who were aware of the situation and wish to remain anonymous, donated $3000 to make sure he could be hospitalized.  

The final price for all of this was $3533.25. With the $3000 we received in donations our budget was saved, and we only had to cover $533.25.  Still a lot of money but a drop in the bucket compared to the estimate.

Would we do this again? Absolutely. We will never let money dictate whether a dog lives or dies. We’re overjoyed that our community agrees that Jackson is worth saving. When you support us with donations, this is where your money goes. To Jackson, to Sosa for her boarding/evaluation situation, to Starla for her visit to ABWC to get treatment for her compulsive behavior, and to all of the other dogs who have needed a higher level of care than we expect. If you’d like to donate to help us keep going, please visit www.paypal.me/vpbrpits.